Medical office planned for Boisseau Avenue in Southold

Residents living near the site of the proposed North Fork SurgiCenter on Boisseau Avenue in Southold say they oppose the project because it would affect their quality of life.

During a Southold Planning Board public hearing Monday, two residents expressed concerns about traffic flow.

“We have [traffic] issues on Boisseau Avenue right now,” said Paul Kraehling, who owns property on that street. “It’s a dangerous section there. There’s a lot of traffic there at this point in time and we’re getting more and more all the time.”

Mr. Kraehling also said he worries for his grandchildren, who also live in the area, noting that when the school bus comes, he sees people driving well over the 35 mph speed limit.

The 5,500-square-foot one-story building near the Long Island Railroad tracks was formerly owned by the Suffolk County Water Authority and includes 16 parking spaces. The 1.15-acre property is zoned Light Industrial.

Robert Fischette, the attorney representing the proposed medical offices, responded to traffic concerns by saying that this was not a typical doctor’s office.

“It’s not a regular medical office,” Mr. Fischette explained. “It’s for procedures that are an hour or two hours long, so compared to a regular doctor’s office, when there might be an appointment every 15 minutes or so, there are less patients.”

Anne Kraehling noted that the sign announcing Monday’s public hearing had been placed on the adjacent property. Mr. Fischette later said that was an accident. Due to the confusion, the Planning Board passed a motion to keep the public hearing on the proposal open for another month.

The second public hearing for North Fork SurgiCenter will be held Monday, Aug. 14.